I Saw What You Did (Blu-ray)
Starring John Ireland, Joan Crawford, Andi Garrett, Sara Lane
Directed by William Castle
Distributed by Scream Factory
William Castle loved a good gimmick, sometimes even more so than a good script, and his films are often remembered for their marketing techniques as much as their content. In some cases, the effectiveness of the marketing far outweighed the picture audiences lined up to see. Castle was a quadruple threat, able to work both in front of and behind the camera, as director, producer, writer, and actor. But his true strength was in being a showman, capable of drumming up intrigue and interest in films that would otherwise be seen as B-movie throwaways. The pinnacle of his achievements came with The House on Haunted Hill (1959), starring the legend of horror legends, Vincent Price. A handful of minor cult classics followed but, again, the promotional tools are what fans know today. For Macabre (1958) it was a $1,000 life insurance policy should anyone die while watching the picture. Screenings of The Tingler (1959) installed buzzers under random seats, giving patrons a jolt when the eponymous creature “entered” the theater. And for I Saw What You Did (1965), he simply relied on cultural naïveté by extolling the horrors of “UXORICIDE!” which is just a fancy way of saying someone killed their lover.
There is a clear reason why I Saw What You Did isn’t mentioned in the same breath as Castle’s popular pictures and that is because it isn’t exactly great. The screenplay is exceedingly contrived, relying on conveniences and illogical actions more than gothic horrors or true suspense. Castle clearly had a genuinely good ploy in mind for a film hook, but there isn’t nearly enough meat here to sustain a feature length running time.
Besties Libby (Andi Garrett) and Kit (Sara Lane) arrange for a get-together and potential sleepover, since Libby’s parents are going to be out for the night. Par-tay! Not exactly. The girls’ idea of fun is running through the phone book and soliciting tame prank calls, wherein they pretend to be the “other woman” in a relationship, or saying things like “I saw what you did, and I know who you are”. Most of the calls result in confusion on the part of the other party. But in one instance, it sets off a housewife who confronts her husband, Steve (John Ireland) – and he’s actually a cheating shitbag. And because he’s a cheating shitbag he flips out and beats the hell out of his old lady before tossing her body through the glass shower door.
Now that the wife is gone, Steve is free to spend time with his hot, younger mistress. Just kidding. His side chick is actually a wrinkled old bag with a bad temper and the body of Betty White, played by a clearly-past-her-prime Joan Crawford. Eschewing their plan to make random calls all night, the girls hit up Steve again and continue to vex him. Then, for an inane reason, Libby and Kit decide it would be a great idea to drive over to Steve’s house and scope out the scene. That goes poorly when Amy (Crawford) steps out of the shadows and flips, accusing teenager Libby of being Steve’s other other mistress. The girls bolt out of there, but Steve’s had enough of Amy’s crap so he kills her, too. Why stop at one, right? Lucky for him, Amy snatched the car registration from Libby that contains her home address. It’s time to pay these meddling kids a visit and find out just how much they know about Steve’s shady activities.
This feels less like a film and more an after-school special. Does Your Child Know the Dangers of Prank Calling??? Libby and Kit’s game seems harmless to them because they’re just naïve kids. Calling up a guy’s wife and pretending to be his other lover? They can hang up and giggle about it but the poor bastard on the other side of that prank has an uphill battle to convince his wife he really doesn’t have any idea what’s going on. Still, causing arguments is hardly as severe as a death. In the instance of Steve, Libby & Kit can’t shoulder all the blame since it seems like Steve has just been itching to kill someone. The guy flies off the handle and attacks his wife like she’s a home invader threatening to cut his throat. And when Amy gets a little too fresh he dispatches her just as quickly. Steve’s bursts of hyperviolence are abrupt, adding a bit of shock value to an otherwise benign story.
It’s almost comical Joan Crawford gets top billing here. Her role is so minor it could have been played by anyone (definitely someone younger); in fact, the role could have been cut altogether and it would have almost no effect on the story. This was five years before she starred in the infamous British B-movie Trog (1970) – her last film – but it is extremely clear seeing her here that those glory days were long gone. Her performance here is acted with heart, and viewers can see Crawford is putting (most of) her all into the role.
At least this picture moves at a decently brisk pace. Castle might have been stretching the limits of how far this story could go, but rarely does he allow the action to remain stagnant enough for viewers to dwell on the sheer ridiculousness of it all. I don’t know how audiences reacted to the film in 1965 but in 2016 it works well enough as innocently fun, “Saturday matinee” style entertainment. Anyone who has made a prank call or two in their life (read: everyone) should be able to vicariously experience the thrills and chills of Libby and Kit.
The 1.78:1 1080p picture looks like a 50-ish-year-old B-movie, with plenty of dirt and scratches to show its age. The black-and-white picture displays stable contrast and solid black levels, with shades of grey just as distinguishable. Film grain looks natural and adds to the cinematic aesthetic. Definition can vary between shots; clarity can be strong one minute and hazy the next. Still, considering the vintage and the lack of prestige this is a serviceable image with only minor faults.
An English DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono track carries the audio here. This is a clean, straightforward track with no major audible issues. The score seems less suited for a thriller and more in line with something lighter, sounding like bubblegum pop music. Subtitles are included in English.
A photo gallery and a couple of trailers are the only extra features.
Special Features:
- New 2016 High-Definition Transfer
- ”Special World Premiere Announcement” featuring William Castle
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Photo Gallery
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I Saw What You Did
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Special Features
Categorized:Reviews
